All of the wines paired well with Mom’s (LaGayle) dinner of tomato basil soup, ensalada mixta, chicken tapenade, grilled garlic basil polenta cakes, roasted asparagus with balsamic browned butter, and topped off by orange sherbet with strawberries drizzled with simple syrup and ground black pepper for dessert.

The consensus favorite of the evening was the 2013 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. In the 1940’s, Nikola Nobilo emigrated from Croatia and planted some of the first commercial grapevines in New Zealand. He was one of the pioneers responsible for the worldwide popularity of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

The other two wines in this tasting that deserve extra attention because of their high quality and excellent value are the 2013 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and the 2012 Efeste Feral Sauvignon Blanc from Washington State. These top three wines are outstanding and are great choices to enjoy on your deck on a warm evening or to complement lighter fare such as chicken or fish any time of the year.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2013 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Pale, straw yellow. Beautiful nose with grapefruit and lime aromas. More grapefruit and lime as well as vegetal notes come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a very long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $8; Available elsewhere, $8 to $13

2013 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with grapefruit, lime, and fresh cut grass on the nose. More grapefruit, lime, and a touch of pineapple come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with racy acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing with an extremely long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $12; Available elsewhere, $10 to $14

2012 Efeste Feral Sauvignon Blanc (Evergreen Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Gorgeous nose with lime, grapefruit, pear, and a touch of minerality. More citrus notes come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with tart acidity. Well-balanced with a very long, lingering finish. Very crisp and refreshing.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $20; Available elsewhere, $19 to $21

2013 Chateau Montet Bordeaux Blanc (Bordeaux, France): Pale, straw yellow. Nose is a bit tight at first, then pear and apple aromas come through. More pear, apple, and a touch of citrus come through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $10

2012 Woodinville Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, straw yellow. Aromatic with apple, pear, lime, and a touch of minerality on both the nose and palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $15; Available elsewhere, $15 to $17

2012 Gilles Blanchet Pouilly Fume (Loire, France): Pale, straw yellow. Moderately aromatic with apple notes on the nose. More apple as well as pear and a touch of flint comes through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Total Wine & More (Seattle, Washington), $18

Wine Tasting Dinner: Sauvignon Blanc from Around the World was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

The 2007 vintage was one of the best vintages in the history of Washington State. We featured 2007 Washington Syrah in a couple of our wine tasting dinners several years ago when those wines were recently released. Now that wines from the 2007 vintage have some bottle age on them, we decided to revisit some of those Washington Syrahs in our wine tasting dinner last Friday. It was another fabulous evening of great wines, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. All six wines paired extremely well with our dinner of tomato basil soup, ensalada mixta salad, grilled beef tenderloin steak, Swiss chard with caramelized onions, roasted rosemary tri-colored potatoes, and topped off with eclair cake garnished with whipped topping and raspberries for dessert.

Wines from Grand Rêve Vintners (now known as Force Majeure Vineyards), Rasa Vineyards, and Kerloo Cellars came out on top in this stellar lineup. Really, you can’t go wrong with any of these wines. Washington State produces fabulous Syrah, and the winemakers who made these six wines are among the state’s best. At seven years old, these wines are all drinking beautifully and should have a number of good years left.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2007 Grand Rêve Collaboration Series III (Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 100% Syrah. Winemaker Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery. Dark, dense red. Very aromatic with earth, herbs, blackberry, and licorice on the nose. Red and black fruit, licorice, and earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $60 to $95

2007 Rasa Vineyards Principia Reserve Syrah (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 100% Syrah. Dark, dense red. Gorgeous nose with a lot going on aromatically. Blackberry, black plum, clove, pepper, smoked meat, and pencil lead fill both the nose and palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and high yet silky tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $85

2007 Kerloo Cellars Les Collines Syrah (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Deep, dark red. Beautiful nose with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, and spice. More blackberry and black cherry as well as leather and smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Winery, $29

2007 Fielding Hills Syrah (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Dark, dense purple. Very aromatic with blackberry, black cherry, mocha, and floral notes on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $40; Available elsewhere, $38 to $42

2007 Corliss Estates Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark, dense purple. Nice nose with earth and black fruit aromas. More earth and black fruit as well as smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $55; Available elsewhere, $60

2007 Sequel Syrah [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark, dense purple. Nose is a bit tight at first, then black fruit and smoky aromas come through. Black fruit, black pepper, and spice dominate the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $45; Available elsewhere, $44

Wine Tasting Dinner: 2007 Washington Syrah Revisited was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Since we are always trying to come up with fun ideas for our challenging wine pairings, we decided that it was time to do a pairing with Peeps. Obviously, these confections are not the ideal dessert, but we had a great time selecting the wines and trying the pairings.

A general food and wine pairing guideline is “sweet with sweet”. In most cases, you want the wine to be at least as sweet as the food. When you sip a sweet wine with a sweet dessert, the sweetness level actually goes down and all of the flavors come together.

We decided to go with two wines that had some sweetness but were different so we selected one sparkling wine, the NV Michelle Extra Dry Sparkling Wine, and one still wine, the 2012 Ste. Chapelle Special Harvest Riesling. The unanimous choice as the best pairing with the Peeps was the Extra Dry Sparkling Wine. It exhibited a subtle sweetness and crisp acidity that complemented the sweetness of the Peeps and provided great balance in the pairing. The Riesling was a bit too sweet and syrupy and lacked the acidity needed to balance out the sweetness so the combination was overwhelming.

What would you have paired with the Peeps?  And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for future challenging wine pairings.

Bon Appétit!

NV Michelle Extra Dry Sparkling Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 63% Chardonnay, 19% Pinot Noir, and 18% Pinot Gris. Small, fast bead of bubbles. Pale to medium yellow in color. Aromatic with white peach, pear, nuts, and floral notes on both the nose and palate. Off-dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Residual Sugar: 2.18%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $14; Available elsewhere, $9 to $17

2012 Ste. Chapelle Special Harvest Riesling (Snake River Valley, Idaho): Medium golden yellow. Nice nose with candied apple, honey, and apricot aromas and flavors. Sweet and light to medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish. Residual Sugar: 7.5%
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $11 to $13

Challenging Wine Pairing: Peeps Marshmallow Confections was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

The consensus favorite was the 2007 Corliss Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. Michael and Lauri Corliss bought the building in downtown Walla Walla in 1999 that is now home to Corliss Estates and started the winery in 2000. Their first wines were released in 2008 from the 2003 vintage. Great attention to detail goes into the production of their wines. Corliss believes in extended barrel and bottle aging.

Even though Corliss finished in the top spot, Quilceda Creek, Leonetti, and Fielding Hills were hot on its heels. All four of those wines were outstanding. In fact, my personal favorites were Quilceda Creek and Fielding Hills. And, five out of the six wines in the tasting received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5). Even though these wines are not inexpensive, they are well worth the money. I would encourage you to try any of these wines, especially with a meal, to decide for yourself how Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon compares to other world-renowned Cabs.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2007 Corliss Estates Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. Deep, dark garnet red in color. Nice nose with leather and black fruit aromas. Gorgeous blackberry, black cherry, leather, and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $75; Available elsewhere, $55 to $75

2007 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. Deep, dark red. Very aromatic with black cherry, leather, and floral notes on the nose. Black cherry, blackberry, leather, spice, game, and a hint of earth come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $125; Available elsewhere, $190 to $400

2007 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 4% Carmenere, and 3%Malbec. Deep, dark red in color. Aromatic with red and black fruit, spice, and a touch of earth on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $90; Available elsewhere, $85 to $110

2007 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah, 3% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purplish red. Gorgeous nose with black fruit, licorice, and spice rack aromas. Blackcurrant, black cherry, licorice, smoked meat and a hint of tobacco come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $38

2007 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.8% Merlot, and 0.2% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark red. Aromatic with herbs, spice, and black fruit aromas. Fruit-forward with black plum, blackberry, and herbs on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $40; Available elsewhere, $36 to $55

2007 Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark garnet red. Nose is a bit tight at first and then earth, black fruit, and grape Jolly Rancher come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $70; Available elsewhere, $70 to $85

Wine Tasting Dinner: 2007 Washington Cabernet Sauvignon Revisited was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

As always, I referred to my favorite book, What to Drink with What You Eat, and decided to try a Cabernet Franc and a Merlot with this meal. We selected the 2009 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc and the 2009 Columbia Crest Reserve Merlot, both from Washington State. Both wines were excellent, but the unanimous choice as the best pairing was the Cabernet Franc.

What would you have paired with this meal? Your suggestions for future challenging pairings are always welcome.

Bon Appétit!

2009 Fielding Hills Cabernet Franc (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purple. Nice nose with black cherry and spice aromas. More black cherry and spice as well as herbs and a touch of earth come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery $30

2009 Columbia Crest Reserve Merlot (Stone Tree Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purple. Nose is a bit tight at first and then plum aromas come through. Plum and black pepper dominate the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery $30

Challenging Wine Pairing: Roasted Eye of Round with Shallot Sauce was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Trying to hold on to the last bit of summer here in Seattle, we featured six rosé wines from around the world at our wine tasting dinner last Friday. It was another fabulous evening of good wine, the company of wonderful friends, and excellent food. Our good friend and next-door neighbor, Eric, served as the guest chef for the evening and made his wonderful paella. The wines paired extremely well with our entire meal which included bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Serrano pepper and cream cheese spread with pepper jelly on crackers for appetizers, ensalada mixta and the paella for the main dish, and fresh strawberries garnished with simple syrup and black pepper served with a scoop of orange sherbet for dessert.

The consensus favorite was the 2012 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé. This wine is produced in the Provence region of France but is easy to find across the United States, especially this time of year. It is great as a sipper and gets even better with food.

When the sun is shining and you’re looking for a refreshing beverage to enjoy on the deck or in the backyard, don’t forget to give rosé wine a shot. In addition to the paella we had at this dinner, two other foods that pair very well with rosé are grilled salmon and hot dogs.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2012 Domaine Saint Aix Rosé (Provence, France): Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. Very pale salmon color. Beautiful nose with floral and citrus aromas. Citrus fruit, watermelon, and a touch of spice come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $15; Available elsewhere, $15 to $17

2012 Viu Manent Estate Collection Reserva Malbec Rosé (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 94% Malbec and 6% Syrah. Pale to medium pink. Aromatic with strawberry, watermelon, and citrus peel on the nose. More strawberry, cherry, and floral notes come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $7; Available elsewhere, $7 to $11

2012 Boekenhoutskloof The Wolftrap Rosé (Western Cape, South Africa): 51% Syrah, 28% Cinsault, and 21% Grenache. Medium pink. Aromatic with strawberry, cherry, and spice on both the nose and palate. Off-dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $10; Available elsewhere, $9 to $12

2012 La Vieille Ferme Ventoux Rosé (Rhone Valley, France): Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah. Medium pink. Nice nose with strawberry and floral aromas. Cherry and strawberry come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $9; Available elsewhere, $6 to $10

2012 Chateau La Mascaronne Quat’saisons Rosé (Provence, France): Grenache, Cinsault, and Mourvedre. Very pale salmon color. Aromatic with citrus and floral aromas. Meyer lemon, watermelon, and pink grapefruit come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $15; Available elsewhere, $13 to $21

2012 Robert Ramsay Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 45% Grenache, 45% Cinsault, and 10% Viognier. Pale to medium salmon color. Nice nose with orange peel and strawberry aromas. Strawberry and citrus fruit comes through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $18

Wine Tasting Dinner: 2012 Rosé from Around the World was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.